Surgery on the wrong part of the body is one of the most egregious medical errors that can occur. Thus, if a doctor operates on the incorrect body part, the person injured may be able to pursue multiple claims against the doctor, including medical malpractice, lack of informed consent, and…
Many hospitals and care facilities throughout New York are federally funded. Typically, healthcare practitioners employed by such centers are immune from liability for medical malpractice, and a plaintiff seeking damages for the harm caused by a doctor must proceed solely against the federal government. In a recent New York opinion,…
When people visit the emergency room of a hospital, it is typically because of what they perceive to be an acute medical condition. Emergency room doctors are trained to differentiate between issues that require immediate treatment and nonemergent concerns, but if they make errors in judgment, it can result in…
Typically, medical malpractice cases are filed in New York state courts. Even if a plaintiff files a matter in state court, however, the defendant may be able to remove it to federal court in certain instances. Usually, it is more beneficial for a defendant in a malpractice case to have…
In New York, medical malpractice cases are typically a battle of the experts. Thus, if a defendant establishes the right to judgment in its favor via expert testimony but the plaintiff is unable to demonstrate there is a need for a trial on disputed issues via the affidavit of an…
Vasectomies are routine surgeries that are generally completed without complications. Thus, if issues arise after a procedure, it could be due to medical malpractice. A plaintiff alleging a negligently performed vasectomy caused him to suffer harm must generally obtain an expert to testify that the defendant departed from the accepted…
There are side effects associated with many medical treatments for health concerns. Usually, a doctor will inform a patient of the potential risks of a course of care and advise whether the benefits outweigh the possible harm. If a physician fails to fully educate a plaintiff on the possible consequences…
A patient that suffers unexpected harm during surgery may be able to pursue claims against the doctor that performed the procedure. To prove the physician’s liability, the patient typically must show a deviation from the standard of care, but in cases in which it is obvious that harm was caused…
Many hospitals and medical facilities hire practitioners who work as independent contractors. While hospitals can be held vicariously liable for harm caused by their employees, a patient seeking to imposed liability on a care provider for injuries sustained during treatment by a non-employee must prove the person was acting as…
Generally, a plaintiff injured by a reckless health care provider must produce expert testimony regarding the breach of the standard of care. In cases in which the harm suffered is clearly the result of negligence, though, the plaintiff may be able to argue that the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur,…